These Olympics featured the first change in the alpine skiing program in more than 30 years.

The Super-G was added and the combined event returned; it was last contested at the Winter Olympics in 1948, prior to the addition of the giant slalom.

[2] On February 25, 1988, 47 year old Austrian Olympic Team physician Joerg Oberhammer died after falling into the path of a snow-grooming machine after colliding with another skier between runs of the men's giant slalom.

[3] Swiss team skiers Pirmin Zurbriggen and Martin Hangl witnessed Oberhammer's death from the chairlift, Zurbriggen went on to win the bronze medal, while Hangl withdrew from the giant slalom due to the incident.

Guatemala, the US Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico made their Olympic alpine skiing debuts.